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Guest Post: The Cedars of Lebanon by James Blare, Jr.

The
Lone Giant

The Cedars of Lebanon and Lebanese cedar… two very different
trees. The Lebanese cedar is just that, cedar wood found in Lebanon. However,
the cedar of Lebanon is a completely different tree. Some of the strongest wood
mentioned in the Bible, it has roots said to be the deepest on earth. It’s even
compared to the ministry of Christ. Hos_14:5 (I will be like the dew to Israel; He will
blossom like the lily, and He will take root like the cedars of Lebanon.)

These unique trees are a standard which is used to
describe the strength of God’s voice in Psalms 29:5
(The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon). If you are instructed to build something for God, He directs you to use the strongest
wood possible, the cedar of Lebanon.

What makes these trees so unique? It is not just the wood.
It is how and where they grow. And what would happen for these special trees to
get so strong? In the high mountain ranges of Lebanon, the wind blows at high
velocities. While they grow, they experience some of the toughest storms in the
country. But that is not all.

Think of it this way: The Lord tells you to build Him a
ship. You are done except for the mast. The most important part…

When a shipbuilder needs a mast for his ship, he does not just find any tree and chop it down. He finds a young tree and chops down all
the trees around it. This lonely tree will now grow all on its own. It will
weather the storms and high winds of the mountain top. While the other trees grow
in the shelter and shade of each other, this tree will become as strong as it
can possibly be…alone. It will suffer the damage of the bitter wind, and cold, but
when the storms are over, it will heal. Its scars yielding strength.

The shipbuilder waits, harvesting this fine specimen when it is
strong and tall. Knowing that the mast has to be the strongest on the ship, he fashions
it out of one solid piece of wood. Scars and all.

Much like with the Cedars of Lebanon, the Lord is our
shipbuilder, and we are His mast. When we give our lives over to Jesus, we are
entrusting Him to make us stronger. It
may seem as if we are alone and weathering the storms on our own, but, in fact,
they are making us stronger. God wants us to be strong enough to be that one solid piece of wood before
he uses us. The good news? We do not have to go through the storms alone. God is
watching over us and constantly repairing us as we grow.

By James Blare, Jr.

About the Author:

James Blare, Jr. discovered his love for
the Lord at an early age. He finds great joy in fishing and hunting, not only for
creatures on this earth, but for the souls of man. An apologist by nature, he doesn’t
shy from a good debate. Bold and true, even in his everyday life, James stands
firm in the faith. From his days on rigs to the retail world, he’s a testament to the molding power of the Lord.